As the nation's foremost theatrical producer of Shakespeare and new work, The Public Theater is dedicated to achieving artistic excellence while developing an American theater that is accessible and relevant to all people through productions of challenging new plays, musicals and innovative stagings of the classics.

Founded by Joseph Papp as the Shakespeare Workshop and now one of the nation’s preeminent cultural institutions, The Public is an American theater in which all the country’s voices, rhythms, and cultures converge. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson, The Public is dedicated to embracing the complexities of contemporary society and nurturing both artists and audiences, as it continues Joseph Papp's legacy of creating a place of inclusion and a forum for ideas.

While the Public Theater puts on many high-quality productions, most are eclipsed by the wildly popular Shakespeare In The Park, which takes place at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park every summer (although it's not always a production of the Bard's work). In years gone by, New Yorkers and tourists alike would come to the Delacorte early in the morning—sometimes as early as midnight—to stand on line for the free tickets given out every day at noon for that day's performance; now, the Public Theater's website has instituted a Virtual Line for customers in a bid to ameliorate the process (and, at least theoretically, reduce scalping).